Machine for threading button-fasteners into the eyes of buttons



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A. W. I HAM. MACHINE FOR THBEADING BUTTON FASTENERS INTO THB EYES 0PBUTTONS- No."491,103. Patented Feb. 7,1893,

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MACHINE r011 TERBADING BUTTON FASTENERS INTO THE '1 EYES OP BUTTONS.

' 'No. 491,103; v Patented Feb. 47, 1893.

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- A. W. HAM. w MACHINE FOR THREADING BUTTON FASTENERS IN'I'Q THE EYES 0FBUTTONS.

No. 491,103. Patented Feb. '7, 18.93..

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MACHINE FOR. THRBADING BUTTON, PASTB-NERS'INTO THE EYES 0P BUTTONS.

' Patented Feb. 189 3;

\A/ITNEEEIES ZOZ ZiA UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT W. HAM, OF LANSINGBURG, ASSIGNOR TO THE TROJAN BUTTON FASTENERCOMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR THREADING BUTTON-FASTENERS INTO THE EYES F BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,103, dated February'7, 1893.

Application filed March 21. 1892.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT W. HAM, of the village of Lansingburg, countyof-Rensselaer, State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Machines forThreading Button-Fasteners into the Eyes ofButtons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements upon that class of machines thatare used to thread button fasteners into the eyes of buttons and toplace the buttons and fasteners so connected within a slotted tube, thatis when filled with buttons and fasteners so connected, attached to abutton setting machine; and which class of machines are termedtubeloaders.

It is theobject and purpose of my invention to better adapt this classof machines to the uses for which they are designed.

. button receiving tube is located facing the view. Fig. 2, is an endview with that end of the machine in which the button-fastener hopper islocated facing the view. Fig. 3, is a section taken on the line 00', 0c,of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 4:, is a section taken on the line x m of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a transverse section taken through the button hopperwith the button striker shown as forced away from the button passage-waymade in the hopper side. Fig. 6, illustrates the same parts that areshown in Fig. 5, but showing the button striker as forced within thebutton passage in the side of the button hopper. Fig. 7, is a transversesection taken on the line 00 m of Fig. 8, is a side elevation of theslot in which the buttons are held while fasteners are being threadedinto the eyes thereof with all those parts in front of said slotremoved. Fig 9, is a perspective of the button striker illustrated asremoved from the machine. Fig. 10, shows asdetached from the machine aT- form leaf spring which when in position ,holdsthe descending buttonin position until Serial No. 425.691. (No model.)

The several parts of the mechanism thus 7 described illustrated aredesignated by letter reference and the function of the'parts isdescribed as follows.

The letter B,designates the base or support on which the machine rests,and F, its

frame with which the mechanism connects.

This frame consists of ,the studs f f projected upwardly from the base,acurved upcast arm f and lateral frame extensions f f The letter H,designates the button-hopper which is positioned on an incline with oneside lower than the other, and is connected to the upcast arms f and fby means of an 0% set arm'O, projected from the latter. hopper is madewith a revolving brush-ring R, arranged at its top, and this ring hasradially arranged and interiorly placed arms that connect it centrallyto a shaft 71?, that is also inclined enough from a perpendicular to beat right angles to the hopper bottom h This shaft journals in a sleeveform hearing if, that is downwardly projected through the hopper bottom.

This

The letter W, designates a button receiving slot that is circularlyarranged in the hopper bottom a short distance from its outer edge. Thisslot has one closed end h", and at its other end it curves outwardly soas to pass through an opening 0 made in .the button hopper side and,thereat 'to connect with a slot made in the plate h", from and throughThe letter K, designates a crank on the outer end of the shaft S, foroperating the latter. When the ring R, thus constructed and connected isoperated to, turn, the buttons within the hopper are moved around by thebrushes so that some of them will have their shanks within the slot handsuch as take this position will be moved around through and out ofthe slot in the hopper bottom so as to pass out of the side of thelatter into a connected slot from whence they pass to where the staplesare threaded into the eyes thereof.

The letter T, designates a button striker which connects with thecircular exterior side of the button hopper by means of a leaf-' t,forced inwardly so as to enter the opening O ,'and to strike the buttonthereat within The uses of the striker thus constructed and ar the sloth and knock it out of the slot.

ranged to operate is to prevent buttons that are crowded into the slotby'some one of them being improperly positioned therein from remainingthere, so that their passage is obstructed, and thus clearing away thebutton at-the point where the slot in the hopper bottom curves to passfrom the hopper at eachrevolution of the ring R, to keep the slotfree;there always being enough buttons in position within the slot so thatthe removal of one of them at each revolution of the ring does notinterfere with the proper working of the machine and avoids a difficultycom-;

mon to machines of this kind.

The letter M designates the staple or fas-f tener hopper which isattached to the lateral extension of the frame-part f". This staple orfastener hopper is elliptical in transverse section, and is cut away onone side and front as indicated at m Figs. 1 and 2.

The letter m designates a blade having a downwardly and frontwardlyinclined upper edge m and this blade is connected at its lower end wherebelow the hopper with a plunger P, and this blade is made with aslide-way in the hopper sides and extending below the hopper asindicated at and this plunger is operated to be vertically reciprocatedso as to move the blade up and down within the hopper by means of aconnecting rod m which is pivoted. at its lower end to the said plunger,and at its upper end connects with the wheel m by means of a crankpin onas shown at Fig. 4:. This wheel m is arranged on and secured to theshaft S, and receives power therefrom, and by which the plunger P, andconnected blade m are vertically reciprocated within the hopper M.

The letter on, designates a tumbler which is projected up through thehopper bottom so 7 as to straddle and be upon both sides of the blade mone of its sides being shown at Fig. 2, and the other at Fig. 4-, itsconstruction upon each side of the blade being the same; and it isprovided with a slide-way in the hopper bottom. The function of thistumbler is to change the position of the fasteners at each verticalreciprocation of the blade and tumbler and thus facilitate the capacityof the blade to catch the fasteners, which if the blade alone were usedwould tend to position themselves with their bend ends downward in whichposition they would not be so readily caught by the blade.

The connecting-rod m is made in two parts and arranged to operateelastically in its engagement with the plunger P, by the followingconstruction.

The letter C designates a chamber-formed within the rod proper saidchamber containnecting rod proper at its lower end pivotally connectingwith the plunger P.

The style of button fasteners to which my improvements herein shown areadapted to use have a U-form and as the blade m is reciprocated withinthe hopper M, the fasteners are fished out by the blade so as tostraddle the inclined upper edge of the latter, and to slide down on tothe inclined top edge of the vertically placed plate N, which is invertical alignment with the blade, and having its top edge with the sameinclination as the latter; so that fasteners or staples will in theirdescent from one pass on to the inclined top edge of the other. The topedge of the plate N, is indicated at W. The letter a designates adetaining-plate that'at'n, is pivoted to a plate on the edge of thehopper M, where cut away at m and the letter a designates a leaf-springwhich at its upper end a, is attached to the same plate as that to whichthe detaining plate is pivoted; with the lower free end of said springresting on the top edge of the detaining plate. When the latter isforced down by gravity and the spring 7?, the lower edge of said plateis in parallel alignment with the top edge of the plate N, where itdetains all the fasteners thereon excepting the bottom one which is freeto descend shank-end foremost into and through the passage-way n", asshown at Fig. 3. This detaining plate a is made with a cam surface 12,on its edge the function of which will bedescribed in connection withthe operation of the threading finger.

The letter D, designates an arm that is made with a threadingfinger-part d adapted to be moved back and forth in the passage IIOletter d designates a crank-arm on the shaft way m and this arm is madewith a cam (1 on its rear edge, and at its lower end isconnected so astobe moved by the shaft S so that the curved threading finger will passinto and from out the curved passage-way 91.

when the threading finger is moved downwardly the cam (1 on the arm D,engages with the cam W, on the outer edge of the detaining-plate 02 soas to move the latter away from its staple holding engagement with thestaples astride of the plate N, and allows the staples to slide down onthe latter to stop against the ed e of the threading finger when thelatter has descended into the passage-way M; and when the threadingfinger has completed the work of threading astaple into the eye of abutton and rises from out of the passage way n it releases thedetaining-plate which by gravity and its spring is forced down on top ofthe staples astride of the plate N; to

hold all but the one at the lower end of the plate, which is free todescend into the passage-way n prongs downward to be forced into the eyeof a button at a succeeding descent of the threading finger.

The arm D,,and its finger 01 are arranged on the'shaft S to be moved bythe latter intermittently,and reciprocatingly by a connection made withthe wheel W", on the shaft S, and by the following mechanism. The

S with the latter having its bearings at b and this crank-arm pivotallyconnects with a pitman d which at its inner end is pivoted at 61 to acam-pin arm (1 which latter at its upper end 01 is pivoted to an ofisetd made from the frame and the letter 01, designates a cam-pin on thelower end of the arm d, which pin is arranged to run in a cam groove dmade in that face of the wheel m which is opposite to that on which theconnecting rod m of the plunger P connects to said wheel, as shown atFig. 4. As thus connected with the wheel m, on the shaft S, at eachrevolution of the latter the threading finger is operated to descendinto the fastener pas sage n, to thread a fastener into the eye of abutton and the arm D, is operated to so move the detaining plate as toallowa single staple to descend into the staple passage-way as beforedescribed. The buttons after being forced from out of the buttonhopperenter a continuation of the same slot connecting with the one in thebottom of the latter which continuation is produced in the plate 727,

and from which they'pass into the slot 9 made in the chute L. Thislatter is formed by the slotted plate if, and the cover-plate p, asshown at Figs. 4t, 5, and 6. curves outwardly and downwardly and withits button slot curves laterally to connect by a bend therein with ahorizontal slot-part The buttons pass downwardly in the slot-part g bygravity and are kept from falling out 6 5- horizontal slot-part of thechute L,its furby the cover plate 10 7 Soon as the button in advance haspassed into the entrance of the This chute L, I

I and held in a position opposite to the bot-f1 tom of the staplepassage-way 07, and where the threading finger (1 will guide 'a fastenerso as to have one of its prongs enter the eye in the button shank. Whilethe fastener or staple is being threaded into the button eye theplunger, P rests momentarily, and then moves the button and inthreadedfastener through the horizontal slot-party", beyond the staple orfastener passage of, and from under the action of the spring I so as topre" vent two fasteners from being threaded into the same button eyeshould another button not come into position at the bottom ofthefastener passage, before the threading finger again descends. Afterbeing moved out in the horizontal part of the slot 9*, beyond the bottomof the fastener passage by the vplunger, the buttons crowd one anotheronuntil they reach the bend connecting the horizontal slot part with theslot part 9 when they enter the slot in the-button tube V, where theyare retained-by the fasteners, from falling out the slot. The buttonplunger P is made with a slide-way U, attached to the side of the frame,and when moved therein toward the bottom of the fastener-passageway n itpasses in front of the slot 9 so as to engage with the side of eachbutton therein to move it. This plunger is operated by a lever Z that atits outer endl is pivoted t'o the frame of the machine as shown in a topview at Fig. 7, and at its other end this lever is pivotally connectedwith the'plunger P The letters 1, and Z designate cam-pins havingfriction.

IIO

rollers and vertically placed each in an ear formed on the oppositesides of the lever 5 The letter W designates a wheel secured so as toturn with the shaft S, and thelette'r K a cam formed in said'wheelon itsperimeter adapted to engage with the cam-pins on the lever Z and by itspivotal connection" made with the plunger P to operate the latter tomake onereciprocation at each revolu tion of the shaft and to pause whenmoving progressively before reaching the full extent I of itsprogressive movement, when the narrow part of the cam K, as indicated atIt, is

passing between the cam-pins. The blade m is made to move elastically bymeans of a spring in the rod or pitman connecting it with the wheel thatactuates it for the following purposes. When the blade has reached thelimit of its upper movement it is desirable that it should pause or restin its movement before descending a sufficient length of time to havethe fasteners slide from its inclined edge onto the edge of the plateNand by having also a ring made with brushes on its under face actuatedto be rotated in thehopper so as to position buttons with their shanks.in the slot of the hopper bottom and tomove' them so placed into aslotoutsidezof the but-l ton hoppersis .an old and well knownconstruction and I make no claim to .the'samef apart from the buttonstrikerthat I combine;

therewith. i

I am also aware'that afastenerhopper made with a blade adapted tobeverticallyrecipro-l cated therein and having an inclined upper;

edge is anold and well known construction;

and I-make no'claim .to the same apart from; the improvements in itsconstruction whichi are illustrated and set forth hereinHavingthusdescribed my invention what? I claim :and desire to secure byLetters Pat-1 cut is 1. Ina mechanismffor threading fasteners} intotheeyes of shank-buttons, saidzme'chan-j ism having a circular buttonhopper that isi constructed with a button slot in'itsbottom i near itsouter edge, and made with a side passage way through which said slotleads,; and provided with a rotating ring havingi brushes on its underface,.substantially as} described; of a button-striker operated by a;spring-on the hopper exteriorand acam on the said rotating ring, toenter and recedeg from the side passage of the button hopper}substantially in the manner as and for the purposes set forth. j

2. The combination-with thehopper I-Lmadev with the side opening 0button slot h ,thc rotating ring R, the latter having brushes 71 and acam G; of the button striker T, having the leaf-spring t, at one of itsends at-} tached to thehopper exterior and at its other end made withthe cam-lip t and striker t constructed and arranged to operatesubstantially in the manner as and for the purposesset forth. 1

3. The combination with abutton fastener hopper of a blade having adownwardly inclined upper edge, and provided with a slideway in thehopper bottom; a plunger connected with the bottom of said blade; and aconnecting rod provided with an interior spring by which said connectingrod makes an elastic connection with an operating wheel and saidplunger, substantially in the manner as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination with the fastener hopper M, made with the cut awaypart m and having the blade m made with an inclined upper edge, andadapted to be vertically reciprocated within said hopper; of the plateN,

arranged to be in vertical alignment with said blade, and having aninclined upper edge; the pivoted detaining plate n provided with aspring hi, and cam n; the arm =D, made withthe cam d threading finger (Zand the down-curved fastener passage-way of, constructed and arranged tobe operated substantially in the manner as andfor thepurand at its lowerend connect with said horizontal slot-part; the ipivoted arm I), madewith the threadingfinger d ,'adapted to be reciprocated within saidfastener passageway; the springs I and I arranged-to face on the saidhorizontal slot-part; and the plunger P adapted to be reciprocated so.as to engage'with and move buttons in saidhorizontal slot-partsubstantially in themanner as and forithe purposes set forth.

- 6. The combinationwith the horizontal slotpart g ,.adapted to receivebuttons substantially: as described; of the fastenerpassageway 72 whichat its lowerend .terminatesin the horizontal slot-part, and adapted toreceive fasteners atits upper end, and provided with a'threading finger;andthe leaf-spring 1 arranged opposite the connection made betweenthe-said fastener passage-way and horizontal slot-part substantially in.themanner as and for the purposes set-forth.

7. In .a machine for threading fasteners into the eyes of shank buttons,the combination of a button chute containinga slot, having a downwardlycurved part and a horizontal part; a fastener passage-way having itslower end connecting with said horizontal slot-part, and provided with afastener threading finger; a button detaining spring at the junction ofthe horizontal slot-part and fastener passageway; and a plungersubstantially in the manner as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination with the horizontal slotpart 9 of the spring 1 thefastener passageway n connecting at itslower end with said horizontalslot-part; the threading finger d arranged .to be reciprocated in saidfastener passage-way; and the plunger P operated, substantially in themanner as and for the purposes set forth.

9. The combination with the horizontal slotpart 9 having the buttondetaining spring 1 of the passage-way n provided with the threadingfingerd and at its lower end connecting with said horizontal slot-part;the wheel W arranged on the shaft S, and provided with. a perimetral camK having the contracted part thelever l pivoted at one end to themachine frame and made with cam- 15th day of December, 1891, and in theprespins Z and Z and the plunger P pivotally ence of the two witnesseswhose names are connected to said lever on that end of the latheretowritten.

ter which is opposite to that where pivoted to ALBERT W. HAM.

5 the frame substantially in the inanner'as and Witnesses: r e

for the purposes set forth. EJHAGAN,

Signed at the city of Troy, New York, this CHARLES S. BRINTNALL.

